Author Archives: michael_pueschel@uml.edu

Homework or Heart-work?

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Let’s not…

 

  Uh, oh
       So, you two said forever, but now you feel as though forever     should have ended yesterday. Your significant other is too busy.     Too clingy. Too far. Too close. Just too much! You used to scream the L word without hesitation, but now you’re second guessing yourself. You spend time replaying interactions and something just feels…off.
Take a deep breathe. This is normal.
    Seeing how this is NOT an advice column, I will not become the UMass Lowell version of Ask Suzie, and I won’t tell you what to do with your relationship. However, I will say that you have to remember what your goals are. Many times, students let relationships divert their paths. It’s one thing to alter plans. It’s another thing to forget about the future, yourfuture, because you’re so caught up in the here and now. If you have a hard time identifying what you like to do without your partner, if you don’t mind failing as long as you’re pleasing your partner, or if you feel useless or worthless without your partner, it may be time to re-evaluate yourself and your relationship. You two should push each other to be the best versions of yourselves. If this isn’t happening, then something has to change.

Domestic Violence Help

 
  If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. At UMass Lowell there are numerous resources from Resident Advisors to any faculty member you can find. Anonymous resources include: Counseling Services: 978-934-4331 in the Wellness Center, University Crossing, 3rd floor // Campus Ministry: 978-934-2100 in University Crossing, 3rd floor // Student Health Services: 978-934-4991 in the Wellness Center, University Crossing 3rd floor // Victim’s Advocate: Jacquie Keeves, 978-934-2127, Assistant Director for Violence Prevention.
 
 
It’s okay to be selfish, it’s your future.
-EAY

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Where to find your textbooks?

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Where to Find the books?
The most important thing that you will need for your studies are books.  They are too expensive. Isn’t it?  So where can you get those? Moreover, where can you find them in cheaper prices?
The very first source from where you can  get the books is UML Library. You can visit their website at library.uml.edu. You will be able to see the following window.
You can search the name of the book, journal, e-book or articles by typing onto the search panels. Also on the right side of the window, there will be some of the important announcements displayed. and on the left of the window you will be able to find their Hours, Services provided by them, Course reserve, Inter library loan system and many more essential things.
So, Did’nt you guys think, what if the book isn’t available in our Library?  Then through the Inter Library Loan you can find the books from other libraries. For more detailed guide on inter library loan you can visit their page at interlibrary_loan. Moreover, it’s free of cost. Isn’t that great?  If you make a request, you can pick up your book from either O’Leary or Lydon Library. Moreover, the book comes with a due date and you need to return that book to library. Having said that, some library allows you to extend the due date but some does not. If you want to extend the due date you can do that by bringing up the book to the library and asking them to request for the due date extension. It is suggested to do it prior one week as they may take couple of days to confirm. Also, if the Due date is not extended then you can clone that request and get the same book from other library.
River Hawk Shop
 
The shop is situated at University Crossing.
You can also get the books from the University’s bookstore. You will get an option to either Buy  or Rent it. They also do Price Match where in if you find the book at lower price  on other website they will reduce their price for you. Their condition is that the books should be sold solely by Amazon or Barnes and Nobles. They also buy the books back from you,  so if you wish you can sell them. It is important to know the right time to sell your books.
So, I hope you find all of your textbooks at Lower Price or free of cost.

 

Guide to Blackboard!

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Guide to Blackboard!

It had been two weeks of classes now. So, now it’s the time in semester where we all need to be pros with Blackboard. If not, no need to worry, as this week we are bringing you a guide on how to use Blackboard.
Starting this semester we have two systems for UMass Lowell Blackboard which can be found at uml.edu/blackboard.
1. The top middle tile is the On Campus Course Login – this is for courses you are taking on campus that use additional online materials. Your professor should be communicating with you if you need to access it throughout the semester.
2. The top left tile is the Online and Continuing Ed Login – this is for any courses you are taking exclusively online and do not meet in a classroom. Remember, online courses cost extra!
For International students, It does not cost extra, infact its a lot more cheaper than the On campus course.

Logging in and more!
In order to login into Blackboard you can go to uml.edu/blackboard.Then enter your UML Email ID and Password. After you are logged in you will find a listing of courses in which you are enrolled, Grades, Important Announcements, Blackboard Messages and links to some of the important tools. The picture below provides a brief description of some of the areas on this page.

Course Page
To view the content of the course, click on the name of the course in the My Courses Section on the main Page. You will see the course menu in middle. Click on the particular course. Here you will be able to find the Lecture Presentations, Grades, Homework, Assignments and other course material.
Below is the sample screen from a course.

Some Commonly Used Blackboard Icons
These are some of the commonly used icons which you will find on Blackboard.


Logging out
The log out button can be found on the Top Right corner of the Page. Click on that button and then you are successfully logged out.

Learning to Live With Others

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It’s understandable that this may be the first time you are living with someone who’s not related to you or isn’t a close friend! There may be times you feel uncomfortable speaking to someone you just met but happen to live with. Luckily for  you, we got you covered with useful tips!

          Get to know your roommates! 
You do not have to be best friends with your roommate/roommates. But don’t be afraid to have conversations with them! This is the first person you are meeting once you arrive on to campus. Get to know each other’s background, each other’s likes and dislikes, and other things. This will allow you both to become familiar with what to expect for the year that follows.

          Make Agreements!
Make agreements so that you are all comfortable. This is your new home, so make it feel that way! Speak to your roommates about things you all can follow. For example, when would you want each other to have guests over? Would you be bothered if guests slept over night? What can you share and what would you like to keep to yourself? Also, don’t forget to fill out the Roommate Agreement form your Resident Advisor will be handing out. This will help so much!

         If something is bothering you, SPEAK UP! 

Nothing is worse than having a roommate who is passive aggressive. DO NOT leave notes around your room or suite saying what is bothering you but tell your roommates in person. This will solve the problem faster and easier. You are living with these people for a year, and of course there will be things that happen that you do not like, its normal! So speak up, they will understand and won’t be offended! Also, if there is a problem make sure you bring it up to your roommate first. Nothing is more awkward than having conflict and hearing it from someone else who doesn’t live there. Not all notes have to be negative! Go a step further and leave a note with something cute to brighten your roommates day.

          Respect Each Other!
Remember this is a shared living space so you want to feel comfortable as well as your roommates. The best way to do this is to respect each other! Respect each other’s belongings and space. Yes, the room may be yours but it is also someone else’s. Be courteous, and clean after yourself. This may become more of an issue when you are living in an apartment or suite because it is a larger area to keep clean so create a chore chart!

       

Struggling to Find Your Study Habits?

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Welcome Riverhawks! It’s the first full week of classes and you already may be struggling with finding the study habits that work best for you. No need to fear, we can help! 

                                              Try Stopping by Centers for Learning!

Centers for Learning is a great resource and somewhere you can start in the search of what works best for you. They host different seminar classes that may help you find the right study habits. Centers for learning is a year round resource for students! They are spread among the different campuses, and you can also find FREE tutoring!
                                    North Campus Southwick 321 
                                    South Campus O’Leary Library 1st Floor 
                                    Fox Hall 1st Floor 
                                    ICC 8th Floor (resident’s only)

                                               Try Study Groups!

This will be a great way for you to not only make new friends from your classes but also be able to discuss the lectures together. However, this may not work for everyone but give it a try! You never know if this is what works for you until you try it. Everybody interprets and understands things differently so this may be able to sparkle a different insight. 

                                            
Head to the Libraries! 

Think you’re better studying in a quiet space? Head to the lovely libraries we have on either campus and study! There are quiet areas on each library that you may use. This will be great if you need peace and quiet to read for class or study for that quiz that you have tomorrow!

                                            Be on the lookout for study rooms! 

There’s study rooms in UCrossing, USuites, Riverview and McGauvran that you can always use if you can not make it to the library! They are great if you live in residence halls near by or on East and South Campus. You may have to use the Dibs system to reserve the rooms but they are yours for up to 2 hours!

Moving on Out

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Image result for lowell massachusetts
Things to Do in Lowell before Move-Out

            There are 11 days until the semester is over and residential students need to depart from the residence halls. For some of you, that means you won’t be anywhere near Lowell for almost four months. So, when it’s time to take a break from studying, here’s how to make the most of the city before you go! If you and your friends are looking for somewhere to fill your bellies, there are tons of restaurants downtown! Some of the more popular ones are: Wings over Lowell, Life Alive, and the Ramen Bar. If you’re looking for a change of scenery for studying, head to Mill No. 5! Located in an older building downtown, the 4th floor is filled with quirky stores, including a coffee shop. Speaking of coffee, Brew’d Awakening is another popular coffee shop and they allow people to bring their puppies! Then, if you feel like learning something you won’t be tested on, you can check out the Boott Mills museum of historical Lowell or Van Gogh’s Gear, which has an art gallery. Go have fun!
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Move-out

            The date for move-out this year is Saturday, May 6th or 24 hours after your last final. Unlike for winter break, for the summer you’ll need to remove everything from your room, even if you are retaining it. Your RA will let you know exactly what you need to do to check out (where and when to return your key, how to leave the window shade, whether or not to leave the drawers open). Make sure you do not leave packing to the last minute. It is usually helpful to make a packing list and check it off as you go. Double check all the nooks and crannies of your room before you leave to make sure you don’t forget anything!

 

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 This information can also be found in our newsletter along with several other interesting articles! Keep an eye out for it!

Read This For a Chuckle or Two

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Okay, we know, you’re burnt out and probably very sick of hearing anything more about school. So we decided to make this blog post a little different. Here’s a list of some entertaining things to get you through the final stretch!

Need a laugh? Check these out:
1. https://www.buzzfeed.com/kaylayandoli/corny-jokes-best-jokes?utm_term=.xoGYYg3g2r#.jcXZZ565Gl

2. http://onelinefun.com/puns/

3. https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/11/bad-kids-jokes.html

Need to stretch your brain? Can you figure these out?
1. http://www.funology.com/riddles/

2. http://www.doriddles.com/Riddles/Hard

Hanging out with friends? Grab a deck of cards:
1. https://www.pagat.com/

 Hungry after all that studying? Make these:
1. http://www.delish.com/cooking/g1051/how-to-make-nachos/

2. https://www.tablespoon.com/posts/20-non-alcoholic-party-drinks-everyone-will-love

3. http://cutediyprojects.com/food-and-drinks/24-best-easy-colorful-dessert-recipes-time/
 
 We hope these give you a little break from the academia. Maybe if the views for this blog get past 25, the next one will have memes in it 😉

The End Fast Apporaches!

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(No, this week’s blog isn’t about a potential Doomsday, we will leave that in 2012)

Hello River Hawks! Have you realized that we only have a couple of weeks left in the semester before finals? If you haven’t now is the time to truly focus on the end! You all started out strong, and you definitely want to end strong! Let’s go over some of the things you should keep in mind…

Make sure to set goals and priorities!
While the nice weather seems to have arrived, it is important for you to remember that classes are still going. While it is important to relax and de-stress, it is also important to keep track of all of the assignments you have left. Set goals that you can achieve to keep you motivated to move on. These goals can range from “study X amount of hours each day” or perhaps “Finish X assignment by this date” so on and so forth.

Take advantage of your resources!
As always, we must remind you that CLASS has many resources for you! If you do not know how to study or allot your remaining time, pay them a visit! Calculate your grade in each class, and you can get a better idea of what grades you should aim for in the assignments that remain and the Centers for Learning can help get you there!

Link to website: https://www.uml.edu/class/




Most importantly, never stop believing in yourself!
YOU, have made it this far. YOU  have worked hard to succeed in this semester. So YOU are in control of your future. If you starting to lose hope, take some time to reflect and understand that hard work and determination can surprise you. Once the semester is over, you can then look forward to the Summer ahead. Never forget that you are here for a reason and you will make it!

Time for Advising

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Image result for guidance counselor 

Hello again! It’s advising time!
We’re here to remind you that the advising period runs from April 3rd to April 18th and to refresh you on why you need advising and how to make the most of it.
Why You Need Advising:
  • Your advisors are trained professionals to point you on the most direct path to your goal: your degree.
  • Since they are specific to your major, they can recommend all the best classes
  • They can talk to you about career goals
  • They can help you figure out the work load perfect for your specific needs
  • They can make sure you are not wasting time or money on the wrong classes   
How to Make the Most of Advising:
  • Make an appointment and go to it!
  • Print out your advisement report (found on SiS) and bring it to your appointment 
  • Browse the course catalog (found at uml.edu/now) and come up with an idea of what you’d like to take to run it by your advisor
  • Make a list of any questions you may have so you don’t forget them    
Course selection is one of the exciting things about college, you get to choose your schedule and take classes interesting to you. Make the most of this professional guidance and happy class shopping! 

Stress Management

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Image result for stressed cartoon 

Four weeks left Riverhawks!
It’s getting to that time in the semester again. Finals are around the corner, and if you’re like me, you’re staring down a list of deadlines that are coming at you fast.
Don’t fret! The last thing you want to do is stress yourself out to the point where you can’t get anything done. Here are some tips to manage these last few weeks:

  •  Prioritize! Make a list of everything you need to do and take care of things that are due sooner. Map out time to get work done. Knowing you have enough time to do everything will help you breathe easier.
  •  Breathe! And take breaks. Make sure to take 10-15 minute breaks between long stretches of working to avoid burning out your brain. 
  • Make time for fun! Make sure you are rewarding yourself with things you enjoy doing. You’ve heard the saying, “all work and no play…” So make time for play too!
  • Exercise! Physical activity can be refreshing and releases endorphins in your brain. Yoga and stretching are also good for your back and shoulders if you’re spending a lot of time behind a desk.
  • Sleep! And sleep well. Make sure you’re getting plenty of quality z’s to keep you feeling well as you face down your pile of assignments.  
 Hang in there!
You have done so much hard work, just push yourself a little further and you can do it! We believe in you!